Contents
Fred Korematsu
Challenging the wartime exclusion and incarceration of Japanese Americans.
Korematsu v. United States · Coram nobis case
- Born
- 30 January 1919
- Birthplace
- Oakland, United States
- Died
- 30 March 2005
More people
Fred Korematsu
American civil-rights figure whose refusal to obey an exclusion order led to a landmark Supreme Court case. His conviction was overturned decades later.
Early life
California childhood
Grew up in Oakland in a Japanese American family that ran a plant nursery.
Working life
Worked as a welder before wartime restrictions transformed his circumstances.
Career
- 1942
Refusing exclusion
Remained in California rather than obeying the military removal order and was arrested.
- 1944
Supreme Court case
The Court upheld his conviction in Korematsu v. United States.
- 1983 onward
Conviction overturned
Won the reopening of his case and continued speaking about civil liberties.
Cases & contributions
Korematsu v. United States
A constitutional challenge to the exclusion order.
Coram nobis case
His conviction was vacated after suppressed evidence was brought forward.
Civil-liberties advocacy
Warned against discrimination and collective punishment in the name of security.
Beyond work
Family life
Married Kathryn Pearson and raised two children.
Public recognition
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Photo: Image courtesy of the family of Fred T. Korematsu. CC BY 2.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
